Yes, it is possible for a woman to have a baby who is born without a navel, although this is a rare medical condition.
Understanding the Navel
The navel, or belly button, is a scar left on the abdomen after the umbilical cord is cut following birth. The umbilical cord connects the baby to the mother's placenta during pregnancy, providing nourishment and oxygen. After birth, the stump of the cord dries up and falls off, leaving the distinctive mark we know as the navel.
When a Baby Might Be Born Without a Navel
While nearly everyone develops a navel, some babies are born with conditions that affect the area where the navel would normally form.
Based on medical information, including the provided reference:
- Babies who have an omphalocele, on the other hand, truly are born without a belly button.
An omphalocele is a birth defect where the abdominal organs (like intestines or liver) protrude through a hole in the abdominal wall, specifically in the area where the umbilical cord attaches – right where the belly button would typically be. The organs are covered by a thin sac.
What is an Omphalocele?
- Definition: A congenital defect involving the abdominal wall.
- Location: Occurs at the base of the umbilical cord.
- Characteristic: Abdominal organs are outside the body, covered by a sac.
- Impact on Navel: Because the normal formation of the abdominal wall and umbilical cord attachment is disrupted, the baby does not develop a typical navel scar after the omphalocele is surgically repaired.
While these babies require significant medical care and surgery to place the organs back into the abdomen and close the wall, they will not have the characteristic belly button shape that results from the natural healing process of a standard umbilical cord stump. The resulting scar will look different from a typical navel.
Therefore, a woman can have a baby born with a condition like omphalocele, which means the baby will not have a conventional navel.
